A Rainbow’s Fate
Ugh, thought Rainbow Dash. I really have to be out here, looking for some stupid rock?!
She’d been practicing some of what she'd learned at Wonderbolts practice when she lost control like a filly and flew straight into Rarity's boutique, crashing through the wall and shattering what had looked, beforehand, like a very expensive jar–or vase, or something. Rainbow wasn't sure why that sort of a thingy had been in a clothing shop, but Rarity did a lot of things Rainbow didn't really understand. After casually apologizing, Rainbow had tensed up her wings, prepared to fly out through the hole she’d just made, only to be stopped by Rarity sharply calling her name.
And now Rainbow was out searching for “the perfect gem” for her friend to try and make it up to her. What was it Rarity wanted again? she asked herself. If memory served, it was supposed to be a purplish gem - Rarity had used the word “fuschia” - that “sparkles in the sunlight, yet doesn't blind,” and… more Rarity words she didn't remember. Rainbow wasn't exactly sure what it all meant, but she'd shrugged and agreed to go looking.
Rainbow groaned again. How much of Equestria was she supposed to search before she found this one gem–this one rock–for Rarity? She'd already been searching for what seemed like forever; she had things to do–napping, practicing for the Wonderbolts show that was happening in a couple of weeks, sleeping, helping Applejack in the orchards, napping, actually doing her job and keeping the sky around Ponyville clear–basically anything but looking for rocks.
Something caught her eye. Luckily she was flying, and her flyer's memory captured exactly what she'd seen just as quick as she'd seen it. It had been exactly what Rarity had asked for. It was sitting at the bottom of Ghastly Gorge.
Rainbow landed a few yards away, her brass horseshoes making a gentle clink as they met the gorge floor. As she approached the rock, she confirmed what she'd seen from the air–it was about the size of her head. Heh heh, she thought. I'm awesome. Who else could have seen that from that height?
Even as she praised her own awesomeness, she took in the sight before her. It was indeed just what Rarity had asked for: it was kind of a purplish color and seemed shiny but not like a mirror or polished chrome.
As she approached it, however, the gem started to glow an oddly familiar color. She held up her foreleg to make sure. Yep, same awesome blue she was. As she got closer and closer, the stone glowed brighter and brighter and shone in more and more colors.
By the time she was within a foot of the thing, it was glowing so brightly, it almost blinded her. “Heh heh,” she chuckled as she reached into her mane. “It's a good thing I always keep my shades handy!” she continued as she pulled said shades out and quickly donned them, pausing to appreciate how awesome she looked in them.
Now that she could see again, she saw her reflection in the stone. She blinked a few times to make sure. Yep, same awesome mane, same awesome tail, same awesome wings. Entranced, Rainbow reached toward the stone to touch it. The stone shone orders of magnitude brighter with each inch closed by Rainbow’s hoof.
It didn't take long for even Rainbow's shades to be too little to protect her eyes, and she had to turn her head to keep from being blinded. As soon as brass met stone, the stone exploded in a blast of color even brighter than a sonic rainboom.
Then there was silence. The gorge that she had so swiftly and deftly flown so many times was as quiet as a tomb. No rocks moved. Not even the quarray eels made any sound from their nests.
Then Rainbow Dash came to herself. I better tell Rarity what happened, she decided. She took off, marking the place in her memory. As she reached Rarity's boutique, she carefully landed a few feet from the door, whistling as she very carefully ignored the gaping hole in the wall. “Rarity!” she shouted as she slammed the door open.
“GaaaAAAaahh!” came Rarity's reply. “First the wall and now this?! Haven't you heard of knocking?!” she almost screamed as she pointed accusingly first at the hole Rainbow had so pointedly ignored on the way in and then at Rainbow herself.
“Sorry. I'm just freaking out a little over something I found out there!” Rainbow then related the entirety of what had happened and what the stone had looked like.
“Why, that stone sounds marvelous,” Rarity said after the explanation. “It's too bad it, er, exploded, though. That would have gone wonderfully with what I'm working on now.”
“Yeah, it did really look like what you told me to find,” Rainbow agreed. “The whole ‘exploding’ thing kinda has me worried, though. I mean, it didn't hurt or anything, but it nearly blinded me.”
“I suppose Twilight might know what happened, darling,” Rarity suggested thoughtfully.
“Yeah, I'd thought of asking her. Mind if I go now?”
“Oh, not at all. In fact, I'm intrigued enough that I might just join you.”
* * * * *
Inside Twilight's library at her castle, Rainbow related the very same tale as Twilight listened closely, Rarity beside her. The look on Twilight's face betrayed her puzzlement as she nodded, taking a moment to absorb the details before replying. “It sounds like something I read about in a book brought from the Castle of the Two Sisters, but I don't know that I can be sure. I'd like to do more research on it, but that's impossible!” She threw her hooves up in frustration.
Then everypony turned as the door creaked open. Starlight Glimmer stood there, looking rather embarrassed at the confusion evident on everypony's faces. “Umm,” she started, evidently hoping to sound upbeat and friendly, “what's going on?”
“I, uhh… I found a strange rock today, and we're trying to figure out what it was,” Rainbow offered.
“What was so special about this rock?” she replied.
They told her. “Oh, that's a fate stone,” Starlight replied cheerily. “It's a magic stone that shines as bright as a pony's future… or fate, you might say.”
Rarity paused a moment before asking, “Have you been spending time with Maud Pie lately, perchance, my dear?”
“Well, yeah, actually. Why?” Rainbow then saw the realization sweep Starlight’s face. “Oooh. No, that's not why I know this. I actually found one while I was laying the foundations of my old village.” She coughed very pointedly. “It's, uhh, actually what convinced me to keep pushing the cause to the point of stealing your cutie marks.”
“Wait,” Rainbow said as she suddenly realized something. “How bright did it shine for you?”
“Well, it was pretty bright. I'd probably compare it to staring straight at a lamp that's turned on.”
“...And it exploded when I touched it.” Awe filled Rainbow's voice.
“Well, you are pretty awesome, Rainbow Dash,” Starlight added with a shrug. “I guess your awesomeness was just too much for the fate stone to handle.”
Rainbow tried to hide her slight blush. “Well, I knew I was awesome, but I didn't think I was that awesome!”
“That may be so,” Rarity said, sounding a little annoyed, “but you still owe me for repairs to my boutique!”